Moreau's 2002 grand cru Chablis is starry stuff

Christian Moreau calls the 2002 vintage in Chablis the best since 1990, but that's only half the reason for the pride he takes in his 2002 Chablis grand cru "Les Clos." It's the first vintage since Moreau ended his relationship with the negociant business that bears his family name – the first time Christian Moreau and his son, winemaker Fabien Moreau, have produced their own wine instead of selling off their grapes. And the star of this debut season is unquestionably the wine from Moreau's superbly situated vineyards in "Les Clos."

We've brought in a good supply of Moreau's 2002 "Les Clos," an elegant, deeply flavorful chardonnay at a price you just don't see for grand cru. But let the affable, articulate Moreau père tell you (as he told us) about this beauty:

"We are very enthusiastic," he says. "The 2002 ‘Les Clos‘ has the light acidity and richness that typify Chablis. We use only organic fertilizers, no chemicals. About a third of my vines in ‘Les Clos‘ are more than 60 years old, and the average age is about 45-50 years. We do everything in the vineyards by hand, right up to the sorting tables. And even though the 2002 grapes looked very nice, we still threw out about 5 percent.

"Fabien vinifies the wine about 60 percent in stainless steel tanks and 40 percent in oak – but only 5 percent new oak. The result is chardonnay of great finesse and excellent structure and balance. The wine preserves its terroir; it stays Chablis."

The 2002 "Les Clos," Moreau says, can be enjoyed with pleasure now or cellared for a decade. We heartily recommend both! We can offer Christian Moreau's 2002 Chablis "Les Clos" for $330 per sixpack, which works out to $55 per bottle.